Familiar faces aim for three seats in City Hall

Dave Brooks

Eleven Surf City residents have filed to run for the three open seats

on the City Council this November.

Wednesday marked the final day to submit candidate statements and

economic interests reports with the City Clerk’s office. The deadline

was extended a few days after Councilwoman Connie Boardman announced

she isn’t running for a second term.

This year’s ballot will feature many familiar faces -- eight of

the 10 nonincumbents ran in the 2002 election, and three of those

candidates have made more than one stab at the City Council.

Councilwoman Debbie Cook is the only incumbent running in this

year’s election, and history suggests she has a strong chance of

victory. A council incumbent hasn’t lost a reelection bid since 1996,

and when Cook was first elected in 2000, she was the top vote getter

among the challengers.

Real estate consultant Keith Bohr said he plans to make another

stab at public office after coming within 210 votes of Gil Coerper.

Bohr and all other candidates were required to file economic

interests forms with the City Clerk’s office, disclosing all income

and investments held within Surf City limits.

Bohr’s financial filings show that he owns TEAM real estate on

Main Street in Huntington Beach and listed several real estate deals

for 2003, including the sale of 28 condominiums in Long Beach.

Donald Hansen came in right behind Bohr in the 2002 race, bringing

in 14,759 votes. The Wesley Circle resident maintains two careers: a

six-figure salary job as the vice president of Balboa Capital Corp.

in Irvine and a salaried marketing manager position for Iron Grip

Barbell.

Hansen said he wants to work on continuing to develop Huntington

Beach as a vacation destination and build the city’s revenue base

around tourist activity to take the burden off of Huntington Beach

residents. He also said he wants to restore integrity to the elected

office.

“Huntington Beach has become synonymous with corruption and

fraud,” he said. “About every six months you open the paper and

there’s some new scandal brewing.”

Stanford Lane resident Jim Moreno plans to make another stab at

the council after capturing 3.5% of the vote last time. He did not

report earning any income in the city of Huntington Beach in 2003.

Neither did musician and environmentalist Joey Racano, who plans to

make another stab at the office after capturing 4,097 votes.

Libertarian candidate Norm “Firecracker” Westwell plans to make

another bid for the office after capturing 2.4% of the vote in 2002.

Westwell also plans to run for the state Assembly and the Ocean View

School District Board of Trustees.

“There’s a shortage of Libertarian candidates across the state

this year, and the party is encouraging people to run, often for

multiple offices.”

He disclosed ownership in more than $100,000 of stock at TruWest,

Inc. in Huntington Beach, where he works as vice president.

Westwell also recruited fellow Libertarian Bob Kliewer to run this

year for the first time. Kliewer, a knife manufacturer, said he

believes the city over-legislates to deal with social problems,

especially with recent bills governing the parking of RVs within city

limits.

“Coercion to accomplish political goals is wrong,” he said.

Restaurant owner Joe Carchio, of Jersey Joe’s Italian Eatery, has

thrown his hat back into the race after capturing 4,664 votes in

2002. Carchio plans to run a campaign encouraging Surf City residents

to shop locally by giving benefits, like free parking Downtown, to

those who live within city limits.

“People should be able to enjoy all the things that Huntington

Beach has to offer that they’re already paying taxes for,” he said.

He’ll be joined by Peter Albini, who took last place in the 2002

race, but was the first person to file on the first day of filing in

July.

Two newcomers appear on this year’s ballot. Andrew Blair Farley, a

Mary Kay consultant and minister at First Christian Church, plans to

run for City Council. Realtor Robert Mellema of Atrium Circle also

has filed papers to run.